Container closure sealing tool



CONTAINER CLOSURE SEALING TOOL Filed May 9, 1940 v INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Isaac L. Wilcox, Fulton, N. Y., asslgnor to mm Falls Corporation, Fulton, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application ,May 9, 1940, Serial 334,235 '1 Claim. (01. 219-21) This invention relates to a tool for heat sealing closures to containers. The tool is particularly intended for heat sealing closures in the nature of a thin, flexible, disk, which may be formed of material such as Cellophane or Pliofllm, to the tops of containers. The casing of the container is formed of fibrous material .such as paper-v board, and a liner may be employed to make the container impervious, Containers of this construction are used extensively for the packaging of numerousfood products.

' I have heretofore devised a machine for automatically applying and sealing closures to this type of container. However, such machines are costly for a small packing plant, or for a plant that has comparatively short packaging runs.

directly tothe overfolded portion of the liner bag IE, or to the container 12 either directly or in conjunction with the use of a thermoplastic.

The body III is preferably of annular formation.

and formed of heat transferring material such as aluminum. The body is provided with a circular recess I'I arranged concentric with the aperture II and in which is mounted an electric heating element Hi. The body is also provided with an aperture extending radially outward from the re-.

cess l I and threaded internally to receive a bushing l9 through which the electric -cord extends, one wire 2| o'i the cord being connected to one end of the heating element", and the other wire 22 extending to a'binding post 23. The bushing lll alsoserves to secure a cable or cord p 24 to the body.

The binding post 23, is mounted upon a heat regulating member or thermostat 25, and the opto the accompanying drawing in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure-l is a top plan view, with parts shown in" section, of a .tool embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a. fragmentary, sectional view taken on line 33, Figure 1.

The tool consists of a main body member Ill provided with anaperture II to receive the top portion of.a container l2 witha closure disk l3 positioned thereon. The lower or outer end of .the aperture II is chamfered as at H to a diameter substantially complemental to the diameter of the closure disk l3 previous to its application to the container, and the body is formed with an annular ledge l5 arranged to engage the top edge of the container I2 when the tool is positioned on the container.

,The closure disk I3 is usually of thin, transparent,.fiexible, material, such as Cellophane or Pliofllm, and the container-- is usually provided with a liner bag l6 oi the same material with the open endof the bag extending over the top edge of the container i2 and downwardly a short distance on the outer surface thereof. However, it

posite end of the heating element I8 is connected to the binding post 26 thereof, as by wire 21. The

top of the body, including the thermostat 25, is

encased by a cover 28 detachably secured to the body as by screws 29. The thermostat 25 is adjustable to regulate'the heat generated by the element l8 by means ofthe manipulation of a knob 30 secured to a stem 3| extending through the top of the cover 28.

After the container has beenfilled, the disk I3 is laid across the to" of the container and the tool moved bodily downwardly, or axially toward the top of the container. Upon the chamfered surface l4 engaging the peripheral margin' of the disk; the same is folded about the top of the container, and the diameter of the recess II is such as to snugly press the folded margin of the closure disk against the side wall of the container. Due to the fact that the body I0 is heated, the sealing of the disk to the container is effected instantly. This bodily manipulation is accomplished by means of one or more handles 32 extending radially from the body.

Thebodyis also formed with apluralityof-radial- 1y extending projections 33 in which are mounted studs 34 extending upwardly and provided with holes 1 apertures 35. The purpose of the studs 34 to permit the tool to be suspended over container sassembled on the operator's bench-by means of a sprlng whereby it is only necessary for the operator to grasp the handles 32 and manipulate the-tool for the application of closure will be apparent that'the tool is suitable for the application and heat sealing of thin, flexible disks formed of any material which is scalable disks to several containers arranged on the bench. I

This tool has proven to be particularly econo'in'ical and eflicient in the application of closure where the cost of an automatic machine would be prohibitive.

What I claim is: x

A bodily movable hand manipulated tool for heat sealing thin flexible closures to the tops of containers comprising an annularbody'member formed with an aperture to receive the top of the container, the outer end of said aperture being chamfered to a diameter substantially comple- 10 iii 2,263,152 disks to containers in relatively small quantities 

